Facebook users give a thumbs-up to new ‘reactions’ emojis

Well it finally happened today, boys and girls. Facebook has new buttons.

And users are loving them.

Insert new “wow” emoji here.

Facebook spent months testing its new “Reactions” tool in a handful of other countries, including Japan, Spain and Ireland, before it launched Wednesday for U.S. users.

Here’s how it works: Hold down the “like” button on mobile, or hover over it on a desktop, to make six tiny emoji pop up.

Choose from “like,” “love,” “haha,” “wow,” “sad” or “angry.”

The company tested dozens of different “Reactions” emojis and reviewed the most frequently used Facebook stickers, one-word comments and emojis — the little hearts-as-eyes emoji was the most popular — before settling on these six.

The update began more than a year ago when CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged the need for a more nuanced way for users to react to posts.

And by nuanced, we’re not sure he meant this:

Not everything on Facebook, after all, deserves a “like.”

Your father died? You lost your pet? You got laid off? The old “like” button just didn’t seem appropriate at times like that, and users complained. They wanted a “dislike” button, but Facebook didn’t want to go negative.

Thus, the more nuanced “sad” button.

But it’s not just a sad little face. Like the other emojis, it is animated in a tiny GIF.

Notice how the “wow” face tilts upward. And the “haha” face throws its head back in laughter.

“When we started animating them, everyone instantly got it,” Julie Zhuo, a product design director at Facebook, told Wired.

Reaction to the new button seemed mostly positive Wednesday, though a few folks didn’t seem wowed.

Then again, you can’t make everyone happy.

The feature is available now on Web browsers, though it could take a few days for everyone to get them. Facebook apps on iPhones and Android devices will have to be updated to use them.

Facebook has suggested that this won’t be last evolution of the “like” button. Some folks already have a few suggestions.

Anyone for a Kanye button?

One idea being batted around: Incorporate voices with the emojis.

Maybe in the future, says Facebook.

Come on, future.

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Facebook users give a thumbs-up to new ‘reactions’ emojis."